A 60-year-old surfer was killed near Santa Cruz, possibly after being slammed against a reef or the bottom of the ocean, authorities said Tuesday.

Two surfing friends found Scott Woodworth of Ben Lomond (Santa Cruz County) still tethered to his 9-foot surfboard near Pleasure Point just east of Santa Cruz around 6 p.m. Monday, authorities said. It's estimated he was underwater for at least 40 minutes, said Battalion Chief Steve Walsh of the Central Fire Protection District.

Woodworth owned his own woodworking business and was an avid surfer, according to his Facebook profile. He graduated from Fremont High School in Sunnyvale.

Rescue crews helped Woodworth's friends drag him out of the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Woodworth had wounds on his face that suggest he was thrown against a reef or the shallow ocean floor, Walsh said. It isn't clear if the trauma occurred before or after Woodworth died.

Woodworth's two surfing friends saw him catch a wave and then didn't see him for 40 minutes. They finally spotted his surfboard floating nearby, paddled over and found him attached.